Bats and baby rattle snakes!

I continue to see bats as I leave Arizona, headed for New Mexico and El Paso. There was a whole swarm of bats at the border check point earlier this evening and as I pull into a rest stop, I see a couple more bats probably gobbling up insects attracted to the lights here.

When I go into the bathroom, I see what appears to be a little black and white striped piece of rope looped against the wall. I've left my glasses in the truck so I need to get closer.

The closer I get, the more I see the string is not striped but boasts more of a diamond shaped pattern of beiges and browns. It occurs to me that this might be a rattler and the tiniest rattler I've every seen. She seems to shrink away from me the closer I get, hugging the wall so closely probably hoping she's camouflaged.

Any doubts I had disappeared when I could distinguish a tiny rattle at the end of her tail. I prop open the bathroom door and attempt to inspire this baby to move out into the dark night. She's not having it, although she does slink along the wall, closer to the door but stops her forward movement the minute she arrives under the mounted garbage can.

I have no stick or means to encourage her path other than stamping my feet and making scary noises, so I just leave the door propped open and hope she'll venture out quickly to safety - or at least before someone else arrives.

But I got to interact with a wild baby rattler! Oh what a night!